July 30, 2019 - meraapnabihar

Patna University teachers to go on strike against new salary payment system

Source: hindustantimes.com

With thousands of teachers and employees of schools, colleges and universities still awaiting their monthly salaries and struggling with backlogs, Patna University teachers’ and employees’ associations have announced to go on a two-day strike on August 2 and 3, against the likely move to stop the old system and follow a new one.

Under the new centralised finance management system (CFMS), the salary to university and college teachers and employees will be paid through the treasury, instead of earlier system of releasing grants for varsities.

A couple of months ago, there was problem in salary payment in many universities after the old system was stopped for many universities without putting the CFMS wholly in place. PU is the only university that somehow manages timely salary payment through internal resources,

“The CFMS system has not been successful in ensuring timely payment of salaries in any university. Alarmed by this, we had approached the Patna high court and the matter is pending there. Prior to this also, the teachers’ association had approached the HC. The HC had directed PU to ensure salary payment to its staff on the first day of every month by any source,” the leaders of two associations have written to vice-chancellor RB Prasad Singh.

The leaders have said that they would continue their protest against Bihar government’s unclear policies and the new system of salary payment, as it was unlikely to ensure timely payment. “At present, at least PU manages timely payment through internal resources to spare the teachers and employees from hassles,” they added.

The leaders have also voiced concern over the delay and mode of payment. “If the government will make net salary payment and not gross payment, it might again take months to get back the lawful deductions,” they added.

Officials in the department of education, however, said once the CFMS becomes fully functional, salary payment would be streamlined.

BJP kicks off preparations for Jharkhand Assembly polls

Source: newsd.in

Ranchi, July 29 (IANS) Speculations are rife that Jharkhand polls, due early 2020, may take place along with Haryana and Maharashtra by the end of the year. The ruling BJP has not officially said anything but has begun its preparations, ensuring benefits of schemes reach people and launching a membership drive.

The tenure of Haryana and Maharashtra assemblies are ending on November 2 and 11, respectively and that of Jharkhand on January 5, 2020. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP favouring simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, the party may set an example by holding Assembly polls together.

The party, however, says that no decision has been taken on holding Assembly polls, along with the two other states. “There is no information of advancing the Assembly poll in the state,” BJP leader Ravi Bhatt told IANS.

Asked about the timing of polls, state BJP spokesman Shivapujan Pathak told IANS that the “party has started poll preparations. It is up to the party’s central leaders to decide whether polls will be held on schedule time or advanced”.

“Our membership drive is going at large scale…. We have set target of 25 lakh new members in the state,” he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raghubar Das has swung into action, with the state government fixing September 30 for distributing free gas cylinders to the remaining 14 lakh families.

Jharkhand, which has already distributed free gas cylinders to 29 lakh families, has also announced to refill the cylinder at free of cost.

The state is focusing to cover all its people under the Ayushman Bharat and other social schemes.

The Chief Minister has directed the officials to complete major state and centre sponsored schemes by August 31 and September 30, respectively.

Government sources also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to make two to three visits to the state in August and September to launch agriculture-related schemes and inaugurate the multi-modal terminal on the Ganga in Sahebganj district.

On the International Day of Yoga, Modi had chosen Ranchi to attend the programme, which was attended by more than 35,000 people.

The BJP is enthused by the Lok Sabha poll outcome, where it won 12 of the state’s 14 Lok Sabha seats, defeating the grand alliance of the Congress, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha-Prajatantrik and the Rashtriya Janata Dal. While the Congress and the JMM managed to win one seat each, JMM President and former Chief Minister Shibu Soren lost his traditional Dumka seat.

Meanwhile, the membership drive is carried out on an intensive level, especially among the rural areas. BJP Working President J.P. Nadda had also recently visited the state to participate in membership drive campaign and discuss poll preparations with local leaders.

BJP national Vice President Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is in charge of the membership campaign in Jharkhand, has also visited the state twice.

Even, the opposition parties have started their poll preparations. Not deterred by the Lok Sabha defeat, the grand alliance is again gearing to fight the Assembly polls together.

“We are ready to face the Assembly poll. Let BJP manipulate the poll dates. The assembly poll will be different from Lok Sabha. In the 2014 Assembly polls, despite the ‘Modi magic’ and the divided opposition, the BJP did not get a majority on its own,” JMM General Secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya told IANS.

The BJP had won 37 seats in the 81-member Assembly and came to power with the help of ally, the All Jharkhand Students Union.

List of ‘iconic tourist sites’ may be reviewed

Source: thehindu.com

The government’s plan to develop 17 ‘iconic tourist sites’ could see some changes, with Union Culture and Tourism Minister of State (independent charge) Prahlad Singh Patel ordering a review of the sites included in the project.

Mr. Patel ordered the setting up of a committee to look into the sites included in the plan, Ministry officials said on Monday.

Changes sought

Last week, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote to Mr. Patel asking him to include Odisha’s Konark Sun Temple and Jagannath Temple, Puri.

In July 2018, then Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons had said 17 ‘iconic tourist sites’ would be developed. These were Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh, Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra, Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort and Qutub Minar in Delhi, Colva Beach in Goa, Amer Fort in Rajasthan, Somnath and Dholavira in Gujarat, Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh, Hampi in Karnataka, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, Kaziranga in Assam, Kumarakom in Kerala and Mahabodhi in Bihar.

In her Budget 2019-2020 speech on July 5, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had mentioned the project again.

She said the government was developing “17 iconic tourism sites into world class tourist destinations and to serve as a model for other tourism sites.”

According to her, they iconic tourism sites would “enhance visitor experience which would lead to increased visits of both domestic and international tourists at these destinations.”

Patna Court annuls forced marriage, provides relief to groom married at gunpoint

Source: indiatoday.in

A family court in Patna in Bihar has provided much-needed relief to an engineer employed in Bokaro Steel Plant (BSP) by annulling his forced marriage, which he had reluctantly entered into back in 2017.

“The marriage between the petitioner, Vinod Kumar, and the opposite party, Kundan Kumari, allegedly solemnised on December 3, 2017, is hereby declared voidable and accordingly marriage is hereby annulled by a decree of nullity,” the court order reads.

Narrating how he was forced to enter into marriage, Vinod said, “The incident happened in December 2017 when I had gone to Patna to attend my friend’s marriage. There, an acquaintance — Surendra Yadav — fooled me into coming to his house where he held me captive and forced me to marry his sister at gunpoint.”

Talking about the course of action he took later, Vinod said, ” I was beaten and threatened for marrying the girl. I did not accept the marriage and lodged a complaint with the Pandarak police station under whose jurisdiction the village came. The police, rather than filing my FIR, kept me at the police station for 16 hours. They did not cooperate with me. After that, I lodged a case at the Vyavhar Nyalaya and also lodged a criminal case.”

Speaking about the problems he faced in the past two years and about the decision by the Vyavhar Nyayalay, he said, “For the past two years I was facing a lot of mental torture. This decision by the Nyaylay annulling the marriage has come as a big relief for me.”

Ranchi Muncipal Corporation wakes up to drain reality

Source: telegraphindia.com

Deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya, accompanied by the RMC assistant medical officer and other civic body officials, visited a number of city localities from 11am to 3pm on Monday to take stock of problems plaguing residents, including open drains.

The visit came against the backdrop of the death of a four-year-old girl, Falak — who fell into an open drain at Nala Road in Hindpiri last week — prompting some to remark, sotto voce, that the tragedy had woken the Ranchi Muncipal Corporation (RMC) out of its slumber.

“RMC officials got firsthand experience of the waterlogging on the 45-foot stretch of the road connecting Vidyapati Nagar with Gandhi Nagar. They discussed strategy to solve the problem without delay,” said Raman Kumar, a Vidyapati Nagar resident. “They heard people sharing the problems they face in sending their children to school due to waterlogging.”

Anwar Ali, a resident of Karbala Chowk, said the RMC officials inspected an open drain that goes towards the Government Polytechnic.

“The officials had come to see how the drain could be covered to stop repetition of a Nala Road-type accident in the locality. They spoke to residents and took their opinion on the ways to cover it properly without delay,” Ali said.

Vishnu Agrawal, who runs a garment shop at Upper Bazar, said the officials visited narrow lanes.

“Civic body officials got firsthand experience of the garbage people dump in the narrow bylanes of Upper Bazar,” Agrawal said.

RMC assistant medical officer Dr Kiran Kumari said the four-hour visit was to take stock of the ground reality.

“At Vidyapati Nagar, I directed the engineering cell to visit the spot and prepare a plan to drain out water from doorsteps and find a permanent solution to ensure that schoolchildren should not suffer. At Karbala Chowk, we plan to build a guard wall along the drain to prevent people from going close to it. At Upper Bazar we decided to outsource cleanliness work in the bylanes,” Kumari said.

She said the officials also visited Sarjana Chowk.

“We want to make a stretch between Sarjana Chowk to Kashmir Vastralaya a no-vending zone like the stretch between Sarjana Chowk and Kutchery. For this we visited the stretch and planned where we can shift the vendors and what we can do for them to ensure that they happily accept our plan.”

Deputy mayor Vijayvargia said other localities they visited included SN Ganguly Road, Laljir Heerji Road, Vishnu Lane, and Kali Mandir Lane.

“During the visit we warned vendors and asked them not to cross the white line along the roads,” Vijayvargia said.

“We want to make the city better, and thus we visited different spots from where work can be started for improvement.”

Rape victim who set herself on fire at Vaishali Nagar police station dies

Source: pinkcitypost.com

Jaipur: The rape victim who attempted suicide at Vaishali Nagar police station by setting herself afire over alleged police inaction succumbed to burn injuries early on Monday. The woman who accused policemen of not taking action against the manwho raped her even a month after she lodged an FIR was undergoing treatment at SMS Hospital with over 75% burn marks. The family members demanded action against police officials after the woman’s death.

The woman, a resident of Kachan Vihar area in Jaipur, had registered an FIR one Ravindra Singh, belonging to Fatehpur Shekhawati about a month ago. The woman in the FIR stated that her husband was posted in army. Ravindra had come to her house with her husband nearly four years ago. Her husband went to Jammu and Kashmir on duty, but Ravindra kept visiting her house in his absence. Ravindra took her to the house of his friend one day on some pretext and made her have cold drink laced with drugs. He then raped her.

The woman visited the Vaishali Nagar police station almost daily after registering the FIR demanding action against the accused, but she alleged that the police officials were supporting the accused, not her. They accused her of registering a bogus complaint and pressurized her to withdraw the case. They even allegedly misbehaved with her.

The woman came to Vaishali Nagar police station along with her 13-year-old son. She set herself afire on the police station premises. The son started crying for help. A constable, Amar Singh, sustained serious burns while trying to rescue the woman.

She was rushed to the burn ward of SMS Hospital where doctors declared him around 5 am on Monday.

Bihar: National Hindi daily journalist shot dead in Madhubani

Source: indiatoday.in

A journalist working for a national Hindi daily was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne miscreants at Sarsopahi bazar under Pandaul police station area of Bihar’s Madhubani district late Sunday evening, police said on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Pradeep Mandal (36), Pandaul police station SHO Anuj Kumar said.

The bike-borne criminals identified as- Sushil Sah and Ashok Kamat- fled from the spot after pumping two bullets in the scribe’s stomach, the SHO said.

Mandal, who was associated with a national Hindi daily (Dainik Jagran) as its Pandaul block stringer, was rushed to Sarsopahi primary health centre where doctors declared him brought dead, the police official said.

Prima facie it seems to be the case of an old enmity between the slain media persons and the attackers, the SHO said.

The two miscreants have criminal antecedents as both have been named in a criminal case lodged with Bhairav Asthan police station of the district.

The body has been sent to Madhubani sadar hospital for autopsy, the SHO said.

Condemning the murder of the journalist, opposition RJD demanded immediate arrest of the criminals.

“I strongly condemn the killing of the journalist in Madhubani. This is the glaring example of deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Democracy will be in perils if people, who work as a watchman of democracy, are shot dead by criminals.

“Journalists are the mirror of the society and it is the first and foremost duty of the government to protect them. The administration arrest criminals immediately,” RJD legislator and spokesman Shakti Singh Yadav said.

Help pours in for Bihar girl battling for life following kidney failure

Source: thestatesman.com

Help has started pouring in for 16-year-old Kanchan Kumari who is battling for life at a government hospital in Bihar’s Sheikhpura district following kidney failure. Kanchan’s parents’ had refused to donate their kidneys to save her life saying that she “is a girl”. Doctors say that both the kidneys of the girl have failed and she requires an immediate kidney transplant to survive.

Soon after The Statesman reported this story on 27 July along with the photograph of the talented, hapless girl lying on the hospital bed, many Samaritans from across the globe contacted this correspondent through Facebook and offered monetary help to the girl.

One of them was Charley Nordin, a man from Oakland, California, United States. He messaged, “Hi, I read your article about the girl who needs a kidney transplant. I would like to donate, please help me get in contact with the family and start this process to save her life.” Nordin sent this message to this scribe through Facebook messenger.

Likewise, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur has approached The Statesman looking for the contact details of the girl so that immediate help could be provided to the girl. Many benevolent persons from Kolkata also contacted The Statesman office on Monday and sought for girl’s contact details to provide help for the same.

Apart from them, a local youth, identified as Gautam Kumar, has come forward for help and offered to donate one kidney to the girl, a resident of Avgil village under Sadar block in Sheikhpura district, some 113 km east of Patna.

Kanchan, whose kidneys have failed, is eagerly awaiting donors so that she can survive. What is distressing is that her parents have refused to donate their kidneys on the ground that she is a girl. “Who ones will donate his/her kidneys? She is a girl,” her father Ramashray Yadav has said on the record.

When asked why he nurses such feelings towards someone who ironically is their daughter, the girl’s uncle cited different reason behind it. “My cousin (Ramashraya Yadav) is the sole bread earner of his family of seven. If something went wrong with him after donating one of his kidneys who will take care of his family?” asks girl’s uncle Upendra Kumar Yadav. The girl is the eldest of the five children.

Kanchan had appeared for the matriculation examination from a local government girl’s high school this year. Her joy knew no bounds when she passed the examination in the first division.

Life took a sharp turn soon thereafter. Hardly had the celebration ended when she fell seriously sick. Subsequently, her parents took her to the local hospitals in the town and then at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), Patna for treatment. Subsequent tests conducted on her confirmed that both her kidneys had failed.

With no money to pay for her kidney transplant, the parents rushed Kanchan back home in Sheikhpura and admitted her to the local Sadar hospital, the main government hospital in the district. According to the parents, the doctor told them that apart from the kidneys, the whole surgery would cost Rs 5 lakh. They say that they are too poor to arrange for the required amount of money.

Amit Khare: Doordarshan to be used for promotion of Jharkhand tourism

Source: ddinews.gov.in

The Central Government has hastened the process to make Jharkhand a national tourist place. In this regard, Ministry of Information & broadcasting, Secretary, Amit Khare met officials in Chatra, Jharkhand and also reviewed the plans.

Religious tourist destinations of Chatra will be connected to Sanatan, Jain and Buddhist circuits to make people in and around the country aware about it.

Temple of Bhadrakali in Chatra is the centre of faith for people across the country. Central government is trying to bring Bhadrakali temple in the forefront of tourism.

Ministry of Information Secretary Amit Khare inspected the process of renovation at the temple which will cost 500 crore rupees.

Amit Khare said that government will use the medium of Doordarshan to create awareness and also promote the religious tourist destinations of Jharkhand.

The steps taken by central govt in this respect, will not only boost tourism but also generate employment opportunities in the state.

On his one day visit to Chatra, Ministry of Information & broadcasting, Secretary Amit Khare also offered prayers at the Bhadrakali temple with District Deputy Commissioner and other officers.

Is Nitish Kumar looking for another home?

Source: nationalheraldindia.com

Unlike the first eight years of his government, the second anniversary of the homecoming of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on July 27 to the National Democratic Alliance was a virtual non-event.

There was no celebration, no release of Report Card to the mediapersons to highlight the achievements of the state government and no grand party organised on this occasion and no doling out of million of rupees as advertisements to newspapers and other media houses.

Instead, the chief minister chaired a six-hour long review meeting on natural disaster as 13 districts are reeling under flood and 20 in the grip of drought. Nitish’s second innings with the Bharatiya Janata Party is very much different from the previous one––that is between November 24, 2005 and June 16, 2013.

He is seldom heard boasting of big achievements of his government. Even during the campaigning for the Lok Sabha election earlier this year, the Bihar chief minister would be heard highlighting the achievements of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre.

This is a significant departure from the past. Nitish would then use anniversaries of coming to power, frequent ‘yatras’ and occasion like Bihar Diwas on March 22 to market his government’s achievements.

No such exercise is undertaken now. There is no talk of Bihari sub-nationalism or ‘asmita’ (pride). Even the demand of special category status to Bihar is seldom raised.

Nitish tried to flex some muscle recently after the demand of more than one berth to the Janata Dal United in the Union cabinet was not accepted by the Prime Minister.

As if that was not enough, some hardliners within the BJP led by Union minister Giriraj Singh started demanding the snapping of ties with the Janata Dal United. They are hopeful that the BJP can win the next year’s Assembly election alone.

There is no dearth of people in political circles who are of the view that Nitish is looking for another ‘home’ after his famous ‘’ghar wapsi’ exactly two years back.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal has opened its door for him, albeit partially.

While other constituents of Grand Alliance like Congress and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha may have no problem in aligning with Nitish once again. But that may not be the case with the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, whose leader Upendra Kushwaha, never sees eye to eye with Nitish.

Incidentally the RLSP is the only party which has taken to streets on several occasions after the May 23 debacle to highlight the failure of the Nitish Kumar government, be it over the deaths of hundreds of children due to acute encephalitis syndrome, heat wave, floods, plight of farmers or deplorable condition of education in the state. In the first week of July the party even undertook a march from Muzaffarpur to Patna.

Thus two months after the Lok Sabha election and two years after Nitish’s ‘homecoming’, the politics in Bihar continues to remain fluid. Nitish is still wondering as to whether he would go to poll next year on his own agenda or that of Narendra Modi.

However, a day after the second anniversary, Nitish managed to get a prize catch in the form of former Union minister Ali Ashraf Fatmi who on July 28 crossed over from RJD to Janata Dal United. Another good thing for the Bihar CM is that the main opposition party, the RJD is in dormant state and the leader of opposition in the state Assembly Tejashwi Prasad Yadav stayed away from the entire Monsoon Session of the House.